This study is a continuation of a line of inquiry that seeks to understand how cue words influence motor skill performance of children. Previous investigations (Weimar & Martin, 2002, 2004) have shown that cue words and modeling strategies impact kinematic parameters during the performance of a skill, however, which teaching strategy will elicit a more mature performance, has yet to be studied. Therefore, the primary purpose of the present study was to determine whether the use of a set of cue words or a silent modeled performance will cause the participant to achieve a single marker of a more mature pattern. This marker was characterized by an absolute shoulder angle of 90 degrees, taken with respect to a vertical reference line (the upper arm parallel to the ground). Twenty-four kindergarten-aged participants were randomly assigned to a cue or model group. Each participant was verbally asked to perform three trials of the underhand roll and then were exposed to one of two test conditions: (1) verbal cues only, or (2) a silent model only. In each group the procedure was the same, the participant was exposed to the teaching strategy and then performed the skill. The procedure was repeated three times and the videotaped performance (30 Hz) was digitized to determine the absolute shoulder angle, which was averaged across the three trials. During the verbal cue condition, the participant was asked to listen to the cue words for the underhand roll and then perform the skill. For the silent model condition, participants viewed a silent, videotaped modeled performance of the underhand roll and then performed the motor skill. A 2x2 (strategy x test) ANOVA with repeated measures on the last factor indicated that both teaching strategies elicited significant change from pre to post test (F(1,22) = 6.886, p = .015). While, follow-up test failed to reach significance, the means indicated that the cue word only condition brought about an absolute shoulder angle closest to 90 degrees, taken with respect to the vertical. These findings suggest that cue words do influence motor skill performance by eliciting a more mature pattern of the skill.Keyword(s): assessment, elementary education, physical activity